Supervisory Civil Engineer (Highway) (Construction Operations Engineer) - SME

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Federal Lands Highway (FLH) Division and supports the Division as an expert in construction operations.

Supervises a staff of engineers and technicians in administering contracts related to highway construction projects.

The projects occur primarily on Federal Lands managed by other Federal agencies, such as the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service and include a multi-state area.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience qualifications for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the Grade 13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include: Experience as project engineer in charge or equivalent administering large, complex highway projects, such as multi-million dollar projects that involve critical engineering constraints, strong public and political interest, environmental or other sensitivities, or critical time frames; AND Experience leading the work of staff performing highway construction project/inspection activities; AND Experience coordinating with partners and project stakeholders in order to resolve issues related to highway construction projects.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Civil Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods required to plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain facilities such as buildings, transportation systems, water and sanitary systems, and other public works systems.

Transportation Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods applicable to planning, designing, and constructing of transportation systems including traffic analysis, signal analysis, highway capacity, pavement design, bridge construction, planning of transportation projects, environmental analysis of transportation facilities, and transportation network analysis.

Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Makes clear and convincing presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.

For all types of consideration, experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Major Duties:

As a Construction Operations Engineer (COE) you will: Participate in the development of business objectives and the implementing of quality initiatives to improve systems, processes, products, and services that increase customer focus.

Share and promote partnering concepts. Supervise a staff of professional engineers and technicians engaged in construction project administration and oversight activities.

Review preliminary plans, specifications, and estimates for constructability and adequacy and to detect details that may cause trouble during construction and suggest changes that will improve the product or provide better value.

Participate with staff in pre-construction conferences with Contractor representatives, cooperating agencies, and other interested parties.

Maintain frequent liaison with representatives of partner agencies, which generally are other State and/or Federal government agencies.

Review and approve change orders, directives, and suspension and resumption work orders. Initiate major or complex supplemental agreements and contract change orders.

The ideal candidate for this position is a seasoned mid-career engineer with experience independently and effectively managing highway construction projects by providing construction operations input from preliminary design stages through construction of the project, providing guidance and technical direction to lower level project staff, and representing the agency in project meetings.